Signalling system



L. F. CRABTREE SIGNALLING SYSTEM Dec. 25, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec 5. 1958 MN 23mm 2.

INVENTOR. LEONARD F. C BTREE BY 6 ATTY.

'5 SheetsSheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1958 mN 23mm LEONARD F. CRA'BTREE. ,BY ff Q ATTY.

Dec. 25, 1962 F. CRABTREE 3,070,785

SIGNALLING SYSTEM Filed Dec. 5, 195a 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I I l E at v 9: 2E 3 23 i. Rm H H P mw NdE IE T 1 I mm H 1 m M w Cr 8 I D U R A N m T E: E v L 2: d wm/ Il -w 2 Q v 3 BE N 3G [923mm 25 3 zmw 3,870,785 SIGNALLING SYSTEM Leonard F. Crabtree, Downers Grove, 111., assiguor to Automatic Electric Laboratories, line, a corporation of Detaware Filed Dec. 5, 1958, Ser. No. 773,387 4 (Ilai-ms. (Cl. 340-332) My invention relates in general to an improved signalling system and more specifically to an improved system for operating signals at a centralized point to indicate the location of a fire or trouble in a fire alarm .system.

My invention is especially adapted for use in large institutions such as hospitals or the like where a large area is protected by fire boxes located at various points in the buildings and by sprinkler heads also distributed throughout certain of the buildings which, when operated, control circuits to operate bells to sound an alarm, usually in code, to indicate the operation of a particular box or sprinkler head. One such fire alarm system presently installed in various public institutions and other large buildings is the so-called Edwards Fire Alarm System and my invention is arranged to operate in conjunction with such a system to operate signal lamps at a central location, such as on a panel outside a central building, to indicate the location of an operated fire box or sprinkler head, and to transmit an alarm to the Fire Department.

In the existing fire alarm equipment there are a series of fire alarm boxes, usually one on each floor of each stairway each of which when operated has an oil-normal contact, closed when the box is operated, and a cam wheel which periodically opens a chain circuit of a relay common to the boxes of that zone or area, to sound the fire bell in accordance with a code indicating the location. In addition each sprinkler head has a pair of contacts closed when the head is operated by excessive heat.

I have provided a novel finder switch selecting system and relay control circuit which operates in conjunction with the contacts of the boxes and sprinkler heads to selectively operate series of lamps mounted on the central panel to indicate the location and to transmit a trouble or fire alarm to the fire station.

The various features of novelty will be apparent by referring to the accompanying five sheets of drawings which together with the following description, will illustrate one embodiment of my invention. The five sheets of drawings should be arranged in the manner shown in FIG. 6, with the lines at the edges thereof in alignment.

In the arrangement illustrated I have illustrated three zones 2, 3 and 4 each of which may have a series of stairs or risers, as they are called in this description, and each riser may have as many as 10 fire boxes, one on each floor. I have utilized a rotary switch finder for each zone, and each finder switch will have a wiper for each riser or stairway and another wiper for controlling the indicating lamps.

Referring now to the drawings I will give a brief description of the equipment shown in each figure.

FIG. 1 shows a rotary switch SW-2A having its magnet MM and showing only the wiper A assigned to the ten fire boxes of riser 1 and the wiper E for controlling the lamps indicating the various floors. The various relays cooperating with these wipers are also shown.

FIG. 2 shows only a rectangle indicating the various equipment assigned to zone 3 and the wipers F, G and H of rotary finder switch SW-4A with its motor magnet MM and the cooperating relays of zone 4. Wiper F is assigned to the fire boxes of riser 1 of zone 4 while wiper G is assigned to the fire boxes of riser 5 of that zone.

FIG. 3 shows part of a series of sprinkler relays S1, S2, etc. and the zone relays G2, G3 and G4.

FIG. 4 shows the general alarm relays GAZ etc. and

3,070,785 Patented Dec. 25, 1962 the rotary switch SW-A which counts ofi? the impulses of the code sent out by an operated fire box to distinguish between trouble and a proper fire alarm.

FIG. 5 shows the equipment mounted on the centralized panel including the floor lamps, the zone and riser lamps and certain relays for remote control of trouble and tire signals.

FIG. 6 shows the arrangement of FIGS. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 to form the complete device.

Fire Box Alarm Referring to the drawings I will describe the operations resulting from the operation of one of the fire boxes such as FBI of FIG. 1. As previously described I have indicated only the fire boxes FBI to F1310 of riser 1 and the one box in the auditorium and in the basement, it being understood that there will be other wipers similar to A with the bank contacts connected to the fire boxes of other riser-s in this zone 2. Also it will be seen that there is a normally closed chain circuit extending from one side of the 115 v. A.C. source through closed contacts in all the boxes of zone 2 and to the bell operating relay Z2 shown at the bottom of FIG. 3. When the fire box FBI is operated, the contacts 1 are intermittently opened a number of times, in accordance with the code of that box, to operate relay Z2 to sound the code alarm by bells (not shown). In addition a pair of off-normal contacts 2 are closed, whenever the box is operated, to connect 115 v. A.C. to the contact No. 1 of the bank of wiper A, and through contacts SF of relay 2P1, contact-s 4A of relay 2A1 and through relay 231, and contacts MS1 (FIG. 2) back to the A.C. source. The relay 2S1 is a combined starting and test relay. Relay 281 is operated by this alternating current and closes its contacts 88 to prepare a point in the circuit of relay 2A1 while springs 68 and 7S prepare other circuits. Upon the first deenergization of zone relay Z2 the springs 2Z close to complete the circuit of relay G2 through its contacts 1G, 2G, and through the chain of contacts such as 18 and 3G to the resistance and battery B. Relay G2 operates to quickly close its X contacts 46 to connect directly to B through only the G relay contacts excluding the S contacts, and closes its 56 contacts and opens contacts 1G, thereby locking the relay to ground on the lock conductor through springs IRLS of FIG. 4. Relay G2 also opens contacts 3G to open the battery chain circuit for the other relays and closes contacts 66 to cause operation of rotary switch SW-A of FIG. 4 as will be described.

The closure of contacts 7G completes the circuit of zone lamp 2 in the central panel (FIG. 5) while contacts 86 close to connect battery to. relay 2A1 and through contacts 88 of 251 to ground on the lock lead through contacts lRLS of FIG. 4. Relay 2A1 now opcrates to open 4A and close 5A to thereby switch the A.C. relay 281 from the start circuit and springs 3F, over through springs 5A and to the wiper A, and relay 2S1 restores. Springs 2A complete a circuit to motor magnet MM of SW-ZA through springs 1P, STl, 8A, and to ground on lock lead through lRLS. Springs 6A prepare a circuit for relay P, and springs 7A close a circuit across leads W and X which lead through FIGS. 2, 4 and 5 to operate a trouble alarm at the fire station. Springs 9A complete a lock circuit for 2A1 to lock lead, and springs 10A complete the circuit of relay 2P1 through springs 68, 10A, 8A, and lRLS to ground. 'Relay 2P1 opens 3F in'the original circuit of relay 281 and the other similar springs, locks itself at springs 2F and at 4F, prepares a circuit for relay ST. The motor magnet MM now step the wipers A and E and of course all other wipers (not shown) which relate to other risers, to their first contact. When MM was energized it closed 3 contacts IMM to complete the circuit of relay P through springs 6A and relay P opens the MM circuit at springs 1P so that MM deenergizes to step the wipers. The stepping operation continues until wiper A finds the contact upon which 115 v. A.C. has been placed by the contacts such as 2 of the operated fire box FBI. In this case the first contact is so connected and as soon as A reaches this contact a new circuit is completed for relay 251 through contacts 5A and MS I. As soon as 281 operates it closes springs 75 to complete the circuit of relay ST from ground on the lock lead and through springs 4F of relay 2F1. Relay ST opens 8T1 to prevent further operation of magnet MM, locks itself to ground on lock lead at X contacts and closes STZ to place ground on the lamp common lead to wiper E. As wipers A and E were in this case stopped on their first contacts, the ground on lamp common lead is extended over wiper E and its contact 1 to light floor lamp No. 1 on the panel in FIG. 5. This same ground on lamp common is also extended through closed contacts 3A of relay 2A1 and over lead R1 to light riser lamp No. 1 on the panel of FIG. 5. Thus the lamps indicate an operation of the box on riser 1, fioor 1 of zone 2. It will be noted that the ground supplied to the lamp common lead by springs STZ of relay ST also completes the circuit of the upper winding of relay MS (FIG. 2) to cause it to open the micro switch contacts MS-l to open the A.C. source connection to all of the S relays to prevent a second alarm coming in as long as the relay ST is reporting one alarm.

Returning to the operation of relay G2 and the closure of springs 6G, it will be noted that with each operation of springs 2Z by zone relay Z2, an impulse will be sent to the operating magnet MM of rotary switch SW-A of FIG. 4. This magnet operates and at MMl closes the circuit of relay PP to in turn open the circuit of MM at springs PPl. Magnet MM deenergizes and steps wipers A, B and C to their first contacts. Wiper A maintains the circuit of relay FA1 (FIG. 5) closed as long as relay S12 of FIG. 3 has not been operated by any sprinkler operation. Wiper B closes another point across conductors W and X to maintain the trouble alarm after ONA contacts 20N open the previously closed conductors. Wiper C maintains ground from the same springs 1812 (FIG. 3) on the trouble lamp in FIG. 5.

The rotary switch SW-A will continue to rotate one step for each impulse received from the code signal and maintain the trouble condition indication until the switch takes its fifth step. At this time wiper A completes the circuit of relay CO to stop the stepping of the switch, wiper B opens leads W and X to remove the trouble signal and wiper C opens the circuit of the trouble lamp. At the same time wiper A opens the circuit of relay FA1 to close springs 1FA to short the resistance in the circuit of relay FAZ and cause it to operate. FA2 lights the fire lamp on the panel and opens a group of contacts in the fire alarm circuits to the fire station and any other desired places to indicate a fire.

It will be seen that the operation of any other fire box will cause a similar operation of its associated finder to light the proper riser and floor lamps as well as the zone lamp and will give a trouble alarm until a sufficient number of impulses have been received to be sure that a fire alarm code is being sent.

In FIG. 1 I have shown two fire boxes, one for the auditorium and one for the basement which only operate a pair of relays 287 and 2A7 or 288 and 2A8 to directly light the proper floor lamp on the panel through springs such as 4A7 or 4A8 and also to light the proper riser or stair lamp over conductors R4 or R7 by means of springs 5A7 or 5A8.

In FIG. 2 I have shown only the one fire box 2FB1 and none of the finder or relay circuits of zone 3. The equipment is the same as that in zones 2 and 4. For zone 4 I have shown the fire boxes 4FB1 and 4FB5 with the series circuit leading to zone relay Z4 and the contacts connecting A.C. to the contacts of wiper F for riser 1 and to wiper G for riser 5. It will be understood that there may be other wipers for the other risers but that the operation is the same as that described for riser 1 (FIG. 1). The rotary switch in zone 4 has been shown as having leads from fire boxes in a sub basement SB and in basement B so that the ninth and tenth leads from the bank of wiper H lead to the lamps indicating basement and sub basement on the panel. It will be noted that there is one rotary switch for each zone each having a motor magnet MM and as many Wipers as there are stairs or risers in that zone. Also the stop relay ST and the interrupter relay P are common to and control all of the motor magnets MM through the contacts of whichever of the relays such as 2A1 or 4A1 may be operated.

Sprinkler Alarm Whenever a sprinkler head is overheated and operates, it closes a pair of contacts such as SP1, SP2 or SP10 of FIG. 3. It will be understood that there may be any number of such contacts and only three have been shown to illustrate the interlock. When SP1 close a circuit is completed for relay S1 through springs 28, 45, 1S and through the chain circuit including other 18 contacts of the other sprinklers and the 3G contacts of the zone relays to battery B. Relay S1 operates to lock itself to the lock conductor and springs 1RLS to ground, opens the chain circuit at contacts 15, locks itself to the chain circuit independent of 18 at springs 55 and closes the alarm contact 6S. These springs 65 complete a circuit for relay S12 through springs SP1 to open springs 1812 in the circuit of relay FAI of FIG. 5. It will be noted that this circuit loops through a chain circuit of the general alarm relay contacts such as 16A and through wiper A of switch SW-A and its tenth contact to relay FAl. When springs 1812 open, relay FAl falls back to short the resistance in the circuit of relay FA2 which lights the fire alarm lamp on the panel and sends a fire alarm signal to the fire station. The relay S1 also closes the springs 78 to light the number 1 floor lamp on the panel of FIG. 5 and also closes the springs to close the common sprinkler lamp on the panel to indicate that the number 1 sprinkler is operated. When ground was supplied to relay S12 through springs 65, a circuit was also closed through the lower winding of relay MS (FIG. 2) to open the micro switch contacts MS-l to prevent the operation of any of the relays by a fire box to interfere.

General Alarm Throughout the building or area there are general alarm keys such as GKZ, GK3 and 6K4 (FIG. 4) which may be operated by attendants to sound a general alarm by means of relays GA2, GA3 and GA4. There may also be contacts such as GAS at different locations to operate these relays. Whenever a key such as GKZ is operated or contacts such as GAS, the relay GA2 will open the previously mentioned chain circuit at 1GA to give a fire alarm by opening the circuit of relay FA1, and close springs such as 26A to light the corresponding general alarm lamp on the panel in FIG. 5.

Reset After each alarm it is necessary to operate the system reset key on the panel, shown in FIG. 5 to release the various relays and switches. When this key is operated, the relay RLS operates to open the contact 1RLS which removes ground from the lock lead to unlock and release all those relays which may have been locked thereto. Relay RLS also closes its contacts ZRLS, 3RLS, 4RLS and SRLS in the release circuits of the various rotary switches, and locks itself to the lead ON. When springs 3RLS close it completes the automatic stepping circuit of the MM magnet for zone 3 (not shown). Springs ZRLS completes the circuit of magnet MM of switch SW4A of zone 4 garages through off-normal springs N1 and through interrupter springs MMI to cause the magnet to operate intermittently to step the wipers all to normal and until spring 0N1 open. The same operation is performed by switch SW-Z when springs '4RLS are closed and by switch SW-A when springs SRLS are closed. Each of the rotary switches maintains ground on the ON lead by means of its off-normal springs such as 0N2 of switch SW-4A until all switches have reached their normal positions at which time this ground is removed and relay RLS releases. At this point all relays have been unlocked and all switches restored to normal.

It will be noted that a trouble alarm is always sent in first by operation of any fire box but is quickly followed by the fire alarm as the circuit continues to function. The trouble alarm circuit including leads W and X may also be closed by a battery failure as relay TA falls back, by a low voltage alarm or by a closure of the main standpipe flow contacts in FIG. 5. When a sprinkler head contact is closed or when a general alarm relay is operated, the circuit to relay FAl is immediately opened to operate relay FA2 to bring in a fire alarm.

Having fully described the features and aspects of my invention, what I consider to be new and desire to have protected by Letters Patent will be pointed out in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a signalling system, a finder switch having a test wiper and a bank of contacts, a combined starting and test relay for said switch, means for connecting an alternating current to one of the contacts as a marking potential, said relay operated by said marking potential to initiate the operation of said switch, another relay controlled by said start and test relay and means for operating said other relay to disconnect said start and test relay from said marking potential and connect it to said wiper, means for operating said switch to move the wiper over its contacts, said start and test relay again energized by said marking potential when the wiper engages said marked contact, to stop the operation of the switch.

2. In a signalling system, a finder switch having a test wiper and a bank of contacts therefor, a combined start and test relay for the switch, all of said contacts commonly connected to said start and test relay, means for connecting a marking potential upon one of said contacts and through said common connection to said relay, another relay, means responsive to the operation of said start and test relay for preparing a circuit for said other relay, means for then operating said other relay to transfer the connection of said start and test relay from the common connection to the test 'wiper and for opening said common connection, means for moving the wiper over its contacts, said start and test relay again operated when the wiper engages said marked contact, to stop the movement of said wiper.

3. In a signalling system, a finder switch having a test 6 wiper with a plurality of test contacts accessible thereto, a combined start and stop relay for said switch, a cutoff relay, a switching relay, a series of multiple contacts on said cut-off relay, all of said test contacts normally connected through said multiple contacts to said start and stop relay, means for applying a marking potential to one of said test contacts and through one of said multiple contacts to the start and stop relay to cause operation of the same, means controlled by the operation of said start and stop relay for preparing circuits for the cut-off and switching relays, means for completing the circuit of said switching relay to cause operation thereof, means responsive to the operation of the switching relay to complete the circuit for said cut-off relay and switch the connection of said start and stop relay from said multiple contacts to said test wiper, and means controlled by the operation of the cut-off relay for separating the connections of the test contacts from each other and from the start and stop relay.

4. In a signalling system, a plurality of finder switches each having a plurality of wipers, a bank of contacts accessible to each wiper, a combined start and test relay for each finder switch, means for applying an alternating current as a marking potential to a contact accessible to one of said wipers, the relay of the finder switch associated with said one wiper operated by said potential to cause the operation of said finder switch to find said marked contact, a group signal for each finder, means controlled by the application of said potential to operate the group signal associated with the operated finder, a series of sub-group signals one for each of said wipers, means controlled by the operation of said relay for operating one of said sub-group signals to indicate the wiper associated with the marked contact and for disconnecting said relay from said potential and connecting it to said one wiper, means controlled by said combined relay for stopping the operation of said operated finder switch when said marked contact is found, a series of individual signals indicating the location of the contacts in their respective banks, and means operated when the marked contact is found for operating the individual signal corresponding to the position of the marked contact in its bank.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,930,525 Levy Oct. 17, 1933 2,126,025 Muehter Aug. 9, 1938 2,132,277 Stewart Oct. 4, 1938 2,236,822 Hershey Apr. 1, 1941 2,542,794 Brown Feb. 20, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 325,530 Great Britain Feb. 18, 1930 481,448 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1938 

